Report sheds little light on Marinette shooting

Authorities in Marinette County have released a 350-page report on an incident last November where a high school student took his class hostage. However, it provides few answers as to what led 15-year-old Samuel Hengel to hold a room full of his classmates at gunpoint for several hours, before fatally turning the gun on himself as a SWAT team stormed the classroom.

Marinette Police Chief Jeff Skorik says there’s nothing to indicate what motivated Hengel to take the unexpected action. The popular student was not the victim of bullying.

Skorik says his teachers, parents, and friends saw nothing out of the ordinary in his behavior in the days leading up to the incident. A toxicology report also came back with no sign of drugs or alcohol in Hengel’s system.

After the report was completed and reviewed by the Marinette County District Attorney, it was determined that no charges would be filed against anyone in connection with the tragic incident. Skorik says it does appear Hengel acted alone.